New guided-bullet technology that will enable Marine Corps snipers to hit their target even if their aim is slightly misplaced is now being tested.
The guided bullet is part of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s Extreme Accuracy Tasked Ordinance (EXACTO) program.
According to Marine Corps Times, a “guided .50 caliber round” was successfully test-fired in July. “Several of the steerable rounds were deliberately fired off target.” A video was posted afterward showing the bullets’ flights adjust in midair and strike the target.
The bullet is not intended to take away the need for “well-trained traditional sniper teams,” but to help those teams on ultra-long range shots by limiting the amount of time a sniper or scout has to risk exposure during target engagement. It does this via “a maneuverable bullet and a real-time guidance system to track and deliver the projectile to the target.”
Former 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion Scout Sniper Ryan Innis described the bullet as “an amazing advancement in sniper technology.” He said it “will turn any Marine into a precision shooter at extreme distances.”
The bullet is now being tested in the service rifles carried by Marines on the battlefield, in hopes that its applications will go far beyond sniper rifle alone.
Follow AWR Hawkins on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.
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